Lucinda O'Sullivan's restaurant review: You'll feel on top of the world with Asian bites and cocktails galore in this rooftop bar
With the sun streaming down and summer in the air, our critic was on the terrace atop the five-star Anantara The Marker on Dublin's Grand Canal Quay
Isn't there just something eternally and ethereally exciting about dining al fresco on a glamorous terrace in the sunshine? Here, however, the very notion tends to bring out an excessive frivolousness in our Celtic beings, probably because we're dining in the dark for the rest of the year. 'Ne'er cast a clout till May be out' may well be the old saying, but we're a hardy lot and from April onwards, no sooner is there a hint of sun shining down on our still cold patch of Earth, than the Trump-like false tans are lashed on, with ladies of all ages baring as much as is decent, and then some, while men with knobbly knees strut their stuff in sexless shorts, socks and wonky Panama hats, thinking they're Brad Pitt.
Our continental cousins are so used to al fresco living, they take it all for granted, and rather than ever looking like day-trippers, both the female and the male of the species always seem to look so effortlessly soigné, as they sip a Campari spritz or Negroni while picking from perfect plates of fritto misto on the terraces of the Riviera or overlooking the Venetian Grand Canal.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Trump travel ban includes exemption for World Cup and Olympic athletes
Donald Trump's newly signed travel ban contains an exemption that could apply to players, staff or associated families with clubs participating in the 2025 Club World Cup, 2026 Fifa World Cup or the 2028 Olympics. The US president has signed a sweeping order banning travel from 12 countries and restricting travel from seven others, reviving and expanding the travel bans from his first term. The nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will be 'fully' restricted from entering the US, according to the proclamation. Meanwhile, the entry of nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will be partially restricted. There is an exemption, however, outlined in section 4 of the order, which states that 'any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state' are not subject to the ban. A Fifa spokesperson declined to comment when asked if the governing body had lobbied for the exception's placement. The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, has gone out of his way to appear publicly with Trump in recent months, taking a seat next to the president at the first public meeting of his World Cup taskforce and arriving late to the Fifa Congress in order to meet with Trump during his tour of the Middle East. It is also not clear whether the 'World Cup' mentioned in the exemption applies to to both the 2026 World Cup involving international teams and the 2025 Club World Cup, which will feature many of the world's top club teams in venues across the US this year. Also unclear is whether the ban will force US-based players who play internationally for countries subject to the ban to return from the current Fifa international window early. Venezuela, for example, have three players on its squad who play in Major League Soccer. They are scheduled to play two World Cup qualifiers: one against Bolivia on Friday night and another against Uruguay on Tuesday. Trump's travel ban is set to come into action on Monday, June 9. Teams that have qualified for the Club World Cup currently employ 10 players from countries named in the travel ban. They are: Inter Miami's Telasco Segovia (Venezuela), Botafogo's Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela), Espérance de Tunis's Roger Aholou (Togo), LAFC's David Martínez (Venezuela), Internazionale's Mehdi Taremi (Iran), Ulsan's Matías Lacava (Venezuela), Al-Ain's Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba (Togo), Josna Loulendo (Republic of Congo) and Mohamed Awadalla (Sudan), as well as Pachuca's Salomón Rondón (Venezuela). Only one country on the travel ban list, Iran, has already qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Venezuela are seventh in South American qualifying, five points behind Colombia for an automatic World Cup place but still in the picture to qualify via an inter-confederation playoff. Equatorial Guinea and Libya are mathematically still alive in African qualifying but unlikely to progress to the next round. Sudan are third in their World Cup qualifying group, just one point from automatic qualification. Haiti look good to reach the next round of Concacaf World Cup qualification. Read More Ringmahon Rangers to receive separate sum from Brentford following Caomhín Kelleher move
The Journal
5 hours ago
- The Journal
Trump imposes ban on people travelling to US from 12 countries, including Afghanistan and Haiti
US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has signed a new travel ban targeting 12 countries including Afghanistan, Iran and Yemen, reviving one of the most controversial measures from his first term. Trump said the measure was spurred by the makeshift flamethrower attack in Colorado that US authorities blamed on an man they said was in the country illegally. The move bans all travel to the United States by nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Trump also said he would 'partially restrict and limit the entry' of nationals from seven countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Some temporary work visas from these countries will be allowed. The bans go into effect on Monday, the White House said. 'The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted,' Trump said in a video message from the Oval Office posted on X. 'We don't want them.' World Cup, Olympics excluded However, the ban will not apply to athletes competing in the 2026 World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, as well as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Trump's order said. Separately, Trump announced a ban on visas for foreign students who are set to begin attending Harvard University, ramping up his crackdown on what he regards as a bastion of liberalism. The US leader compared the new measures to the 'powerful' ban he imposed on a number of mainly Muslim countries in his first term, which caused travel disruption across the world. Trump said that 2017 ban had stopped the United States from suffering terror attacks that happened in Europe. 'We will not let what happened in Europe happen in America,' Trump said. 'We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen.' Venezuela hit back by warning that the United States itself was a dangerous destination. Advertisement 'Being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just for Venezuelans,' Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said after the announcement, warning citizens against travel there. Trump's new travel ban could however face legal challenges, as have many of the drastic measures he has taken in his whirlwind return to office. 'Terrorists' The White House unveiled the new ban with virtually no warning, minutes after Trump had addressed some 3,000 political appointees from his balcony at a celebratory 'summer soiree.' Trump also made the announcement with no reporters present, an unusual move after sharing many of his most headline-grabbing policy announcements at signing ceremonies in the Oval Office. But rumors of a new Trump travel ban had circulated following the attack in Colorado, with his administration vowing to pursue 'terrorists' living in the US on visas. Suspect Mohammed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national according to court documents, is alleged to have thrown fire bombs and sprayed burning gasoline at a group of people who had gathered on Sunday in support of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. US Homeland Security officials said Soliman was in the country illegally, having overstayed a tourist visa, but that he had applied for asylum in September 2022. 'President Trump is fulfilling his promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors that want to come to our country and cause us harm,' White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said on X. Trump's proclamation gave specific reasons for each country in his proclamation, which says it is aimed at protecting the United States from 'foreign terrorists and other national security' threats. Notably, Egypt was not on the list of countries facing travel restrictions. For Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and war-torn Libya, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen, it said they lacked 'competent' central authorities for processing passports and vetting. Iran, with which the United States is in negotiations on a possible nuclear deal, was included as it is a 'state sponsor of terrorism,' the order said. 'The impact of the ban will once again be felt by Americans who were denied the ability to see their loved ones at weddings, funerals, or the birth of a child,' said National Iranian American Council president Jamal Abdi. For most of the other countries, Trump's order cited an above average likelihood that people would overstay their visas. © AFP 2025
Extra.ie
6 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Trump imposes ban on people travelling to US from 12 countries
President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping new travel ban that blocks entry into the United States for nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, and Haiti – reviving a controversial policy from his first term. The White House says the ban, which takes effect Monday, is in response to a recent flamethrower-style attack in Boulder, Colorado. Authorities have blamed the attack on an Egyptian man who was reportedly in the U.S. illegally after overstaying a tourist visa and later applying for asylum. Under the new proclamation, all travel to the U.S. is prohibited for citizens of the following countries: Afghanistan Myanmar Chad Republic of the Congo Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Haiti Iran Libya Somalia Sudan Yemen Additionally, nationals from seven other countries – Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela – will face partial restrictions, primarily affecting temporary work and student visas. US president Donald Trump. Pic:Trump's order specifically exempts athletes participating in major upcoming international competitions. Participants in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the U.S. is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, will be allowed entry regardless of nationality. In a separate measure, Trump announced a visa ban for incoming international students accepted to Harvard University, framing it as part of a broader crackdown on what he described as 'liberal strongholds.' This latest action draws strong comparisons to Trump's 2017 travel ban, which targeted several Muslim-majority countries and faced widespread backlash and legal challenges. Trump defended that earlier ban as having 'prevented terror attacks like those seen in Europe,' and said the new measures are necessary to maintain national security. 'We cannot have open migration from countries we cannot safely and reliably vet,' Trump said in a video message posted to social media. 'We don't want them.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by The White House (@whitehouse) The president emphasized the recent attack in Boulder as a wake-up call, calling it a reminder of the dangers posed by inadequately vetted foreign nationals. Legal analysts say the ban is likely to face court challenges, as have many of Trump's hardline immigration policies. The announcement was made without a traditional press event and came minutes after Trump addressed political appointees at a 'summer soiree' from a White House balcony. The move has already triggered diplomatic pushback. Venezuela, which is partially targeted under the new order, condemned the ban, calling the U.S. a dangerous destination. 'Being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just Venezuelans,' said Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, warning citizens against travel to the US. US president Donald Trump. Pic: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian American Council, warned that the ban would once again disrupt families and communities. 'Americans will again be denied the chance to see their loved ones at weddings, funerals, or the birth of a child,' Abdi said. Despite excluding Egypt – the home country of the Boulder suspect – from the travel ban, Trump's administration insisted the measures are part of a broader effort to 'protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors.'
